Gtcotr/ss102019
Sin is a debt owed to God. Some have a small debt and others have a great debt. However, whether little or much is owed, we have nothing with which to pay. And, we will not be welcomed into heaven owing this debt to God. Forgiveness is our only hope.
One day while Jesus was ministering in the Galilee, He was invited to have dinner at the home of a Pharisee. Pharisees were members of a religious order of Jewswho were known for their strict legalistic interpretation and observance of the Law of Moses. They are often seen in the New Testament as educated, judgmental, self-righteous, piously critical men, who felt it their responsibility to govern the behavior of other Jews. As a group they argued with Jesus and attempted to trick and trap Him so they could accuse Him before the High Priest. Eventually the Pharisees were largely responsible for the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. While some believed, most remained antagonistic to Jesus and His teachings.
The particular Pharisee we are going to read about in Luke 7 was evidently undecided about Jesus and wanted to observe Him so that he could see for himself if Jesus was really a prophet or just another man claiming to be sent from God. Jesus accepted the invitation and went to the home of this religious man and sat down with him and his guests to eat.
The culture did not afford a table surrounded by chairs as we might see today. Dinner was served on the floor or on a low bench around which the guests would gather. Usually men would recline on their left side and bend the knees to gain comfort and allow room for others to get close to the table where attendants couldstill move and reach around to serve the guests for the host. Jesus evidently took this or some similar posturebecause the Bible says:
“A certain immoral woman” heard that Jesus was there,and she came into the room where they were eating. This was not all-together odd since this culture encouraged doors to be open and visitors to be welcomed, even the widows and beggars, whenever there was a special feast in the home. It was often the case that some hungry person might come in unannounced and ask for bread. So, when this “certain immoral woman” entered, little notice was given to her approach.
However, instead of asking for food, the womanhumbly came around behind Jesus and knelt down at his feet weeping. She had brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfumed oil. Perhaps this was her life savings; or maybe she heard Jesus was in the house and she went and spent all she had to purchase this fragrant oil; or it is possible this perfume was left over from the accessories she used to lure men to her bed in hopes of taking their money in exchange for her favors. We don’t know how she came by this costly ointment, but we do know it was the greatest treasure she had to offer and nothing less would do.
As she knelt and wept, her tears showered the feet of Jesus and she used her hair to clean and wipe them dry. A woman’s hair was something of a mystery in the culture of that day. We still see chaste and modest religious women with their hair hidden and coveredfrom public view so as not to provide temptation for men to lust after their beauty. Harlots taunted and teased men by letting their hair down as a promise of more to come. Here, this “certain immoral woman”, only a step away from her former life, rather than protecting one of her most valued assets, is wiping the dirty, dusty feet of Jesus, now soaked by her own tears. She isn’t standing in a doorway calling to the simple but is rather kneeling behind Jesus, humbly and modestly serving Him with the love that comes from her broken heart.
As she dries His feet, she begins to kiss them as a sign of worship and adoration, then she rubs them with the precious fragrant oil she brought as her offering to the one who set her free. The words used in this passage paint the picture of her continuing to kiss and anoint His feet with this costly perfume, weeping as she humbly offered her best.
While this is happening the Pharisee is observing Jesus and, in his mind decides that he doesn’t need to know any more about this man. Jesus is not a prophet sent from God. If He was, He would surely know who and what kind of woman this was, and He would not have allowed her to touch Him. After all, she is a sinner!
Isaiah 65:5 Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.
Rather than proving He knew what sort of woman she was, He proved to Simon that He knew what sort of man Simon was. Jesus revealed the private thoughts Simon considered within his own mind. Then, Jesus begins to teach truth through the use of parables so that the person being taught might easily draw their own conclusion and pronounce their own remedy. This seems the favored approach even for Nathan the prophet who delivered the word of the Lord to David in parable. (2 Samuel 12)
Luke 7 continues with Jesus speaking of two debtors. Of course we all know these debtors to be Simon and the woman. The debt represents sin and the creditor in the parable is God. The debt of the woman was clearly acknowledged to be ten times greater than that owed by Simon.
Herein Jesus reckons sin as debt owed to God. Some owe little and others owe much. However, whether small or great, no person is able to satisfy their debt because they have nothing with which to pay … Forgiveness is their only hope.
It is possible that the amounts chosen by Jesus were reflections of how much money each of these twodebtors had spent preparing an offering for Jesus. The meager meal, without sufficient hospitality, could easily have cost the Pharisee a mere 50 pieces of silverwhile the costly perfume 500.
Evidently there are categories and differing levels of sin and sinners. When Jesus asked the Pharisee which one of the two debtors loved God the most he replied, the one who was forgiven the most. Jesus acknowledged that the Pharisee had judged right. Some people love God more than others do.
The Pharisee did not owe God much for his sin. Evidently, he was a pretty good man. So good in fact that he barely needed Jesus. He wasn’t hungry or lustful or lonely. He was accepted in Synagogue and lived a good life. He had invited Jesus into his home to see if Jesus had anything to offer him. He only needed a little forgiveness and didn’t need to change much.
The woman on the other hand had been forgiven of so much. This is why she was demonstrating suchunbridled love towards Jesus. She had been desperate and had experienced the difference Jesus makes in the life of someone so undeserving. She was beside herself … her whole life had changed. And in her brokenness,she came to worship and serve her King.
The Pharisee thought he knew her, but she had changed, and he never noticed. It wasn’t Jesus who did not know who and what she was, it was the Pharisee.He had failed to see the change. Others do not need our permission before they repent and receive forgiveness but at least we should notice when they come before the Lord with a true heart of repentance, weeping and humbly giving themselves to Him.
Allow me to give you a couple of points to ponder before we read our passage of scripture today.
1. God does not always feel like we do about others.
a. He looks on the heart while we judge the actions
b. It would have been a different story if the woman had intended to continue in her sin, but this woman was a changed woman.
2. People can change without our permission but hopefully, not without our notice.
a. A broken and a contrite heart the Lord will not despise …
b. Neither should we. It is evidence of a changed life.
Luke 7 NLT
36 ¶ One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.
37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.
38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people — 500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other.
42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet.
46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins — and they are many — have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”
48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”
50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
What did change look like for the woman?
• She was broken; grateful; humble; thankful; loving and demonstrated a servant’s heart.
What would change have looked like for the Pharisee?
• It would have looked the same …
o Without regard as to how little or how much we owe, we have no way to pay …
• Forgiveness is our only hope!
o Jesus said to the Pharisee named Nicodemus in John 3, “You must be born-again!”
o Jesus said to the young rich ruler in Luke 18, “One thing you lack … come and follow me!”
• Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee, a man of position, power and promise yet when he met Jesus, it changed his life forever.
o No matter how great or how little our debt of sin may be, only Jesus can pay that debt and set your free.
• Change in the life of the Pharisee would look exactly like it looked for the woman:
o Broken; Grateful; Humble; Thankful; Loving; Sincere and filled with the desire to serve Jesus.
What would change look like for you?
